The Hillsborough County School District announced plans Wednesday to cut more than 300 teaching positions in an effort to ease budget restrictions.
In a letter to parents and staff, Superintendent Addison Davis said the moves were made "in a way that protects the classroom experience for our students and minimizes the impact on our teaching staff."
The moves will save the financially strapped school district about $45 million in payroll, Davis wrote.
Davis wrote the district normally examines master and student schedules, and teacher assignments, this time of year to ensure "equity across our district."
Among the moves:
- The district would be eliminating 333 teacher positions that are currently filled. It also will not fill 424 vacant positions this school year.
- Teachers who were hired before Aug. 14 will not lose their jobs but may be reassigned to open positions at other schools or assigned a different role at their current site.
- The district will cut 20 district-level positions on top of the 129 eliminated over the summer.
- Davis also said he anticipates that some teachers hired under temporary contracts after Aug. 14 will not return.
Despite the budget setbacks, Davis said the district will not be cutting programs such as music, art, physical education, or magnet components.
However, he said those teachers may be reassigned based on school enrollment, and may be providing instruction at two schools.
In September, Davis warned that "uncomfortable adjustments" would need to be made to address a $72 million operating deficit in its $3.2 billion budget.
"As we make these difficult changes, we remain focused on aligning supports and providing resources for our classrooms while maintaining required class sizes," Davis wrote. "Thank you for continuing to partner with us as we achieve our shared vision of creating a world-class learning experience in every school, every classroom, every day."
This is a developing story. Stay with WUSF for updates.
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